


Ga'huel's History

by ari_writes_things



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Gen, Minor Character Death, Minor Original Character(s), Orcs, Origin Story, Original Character(s), POV Original Character, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:15:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22276951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ari_writes_things/pseuds/ari_writes_things
Summary: Ga'huel writes down his history. He does his best to write down what he can...
Kudos: 1





	Ga'huel's History

**Author's Note:**

> Ga'huel is an orcish mercenary under the Black Swan Mercenary Trade. He's being explored as a character, so this may or may not be relevant in the future. I'm experimenting, too.
> 
> This story has a few Filipino words:  
> Ama- "Father"  
> Ina- "Mother"  
> Lolo-"Grandpa"  
> Lola- "Grandma"  
> Ate-"Sister"

The Swiftsong tribe believed that everyone's role depended on one's strongest attributes; for instance, an orc with knowledge for reading the stars could be useful as a wayfinder, or one could be a skilled blacksmith to create durable armor.

I remember  _ ama  _ and  _ ate  _ come home before dusk when they hunted with the flight. I wasn't old enough to go with them yet, but  _ ate  _ told me fantastic stories of how they fought wild boars, fished for flying carp, and finding beautiful areas that sound like they come from stories from the village elder. 

With winter slowly creeping up on us, they made sure to bring enough food and water to survive the season.  _ Lola  _ always reminded me to take what I need so I don't waste a single thing that could potentially be useful.

_ Ama's  _ name is Masugid, he was the head of my family. A mighty orc who wrestled an enormous bear using only his hands and was victorious, with its fur as proof.  _ Ina's  _ name is Pasyon, she was a caring mother who put family first before herself. She teaches new mothers how to raise their infants. They both met when  _ Ama's  _ sister was in her care.  _ Lola's  _ name is Kalapati. She's our caretaker and taught me and  _ ate  _ lots of stuff like how to sow and cook. She's very affectionate and never seems to be angry; maybe mildly upset but never truly angry.

_ Ate's  _ name is Sunog, she's the eldest by 4 years. I look up to her whenever I'm too embarrassed to ask for  _ Ama  _ or  _ Ina's _ help. Sunog, being the oldest, was protective and gave me lots of advice and attention. ( _ Lola  _ says that's because we were cut from the same cloth). My name is Tagsibol, the youngest in my family. I was around 7 when the Human-Orco War started. It didn't last that long.

One night my family was eating around the fire near our tent, but  _ Ama  _ didn't show up until later because he was needed by our chieftain (we only call our chieftain "warchief" in times of war). When he showed up, I remember him looking serious or uneasy, like he was bothered by something.

Sunog looked at him. "Ama, what's wrong?" He took a while to answer her question. " _ Anák na babae _ , I sense doom for our future." 

Sunog and I were confused, but I think she was more concerned than I was.

"What does that mean?" Asked  _ Ina _ . "What happened?" Her voice was as cool as the river, but was disturbed by his news.

"Previous captains from different flights reporting that the human settlers have… 'overstayed their welcome'." His voice was grave, like he sounded threatened. "Humans have over hunted animals and fish. Half of the captains believe we should let them be to avoid war, while others we must confront them. Not now, but eventually."

"And what did you say?"

_ Ama  _ held  _ Ina's _ hand as a need for comfort. "I was raised with peace in mind. I said to form a sort of peace treaty, but the heads of other family members called me a weakling and a coward, while others agreed with me for the sake of our children's future and to imbue peace." He took a drink from his water skin. "As the arguments went on, I was slowly convinced that we should stop them, but I don't know anymore."

I had finished my food as he kept talking.  _ Ina  _ sent us out to walk around so they could have that uncomfortable conversation. Sunog and I held hands as we went to an open field near the tribe.

"Let's look at the stars!" She said optimistically, hoping to get rid of our wavering fear of war. We both laid down and saw a sprinkle of twinkling stars scattered across the night sky as if they could stretch on forever. "I remember  _ Ama  _ telling me a story about  _ Lolo _ having a dream about the night sky, you wanna hear it?" I nod my head. "Hmm, how did it go again?"

I giggled. "You don't know how it goes?"

"I'm trying to remember!" She pouts, then her face lights up. "Oh, right! I think it went like this…" 

She tells a tale of the two men sitting like this one night. Araw, our  _ lolo,  _ is telling his son about his future in the form of a dream; a "blessing" he called it.  _ Lolo  _ said that  _ ama  _ would meet a beautiful mate in his time of need, and that his children will grow to be mighty warriors protecting our lineage. However in his dream, he would not live long enough to see us grow. He believed that  _ Ina Ng Lupa  _ (or "Earth Mother") gave him this dream to give ease in his life and become one with the stars with no regrets.

So far his prophecy is coming true.

As she finishes her story, my eyes glued to the stars, I ask: "Is  _ lolo  _ looking at us right now?"

"Yup. He's making sure we don't do anything stupid."

I look at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Like how you met a skunk for the first time. You smelled horrible.  _ Lolo  _ will remember it for sure!" She chuckled. I laughed. We both smiled under  _ lolo's _ stars.

As we walked towards our tent, I just had to ask; my question was slowly eating at my heart. "Sunog, is  _ ama  _ and  _ ina  _ going to war?"

She looks at me, her eyebrows furrowed. "Why would you say that?" 

My heart sank when I saw her revulsion. " _ Ama  _ said that there was gonna be war and stuff and I don't-"

"Nothing's gonna happen to them." She said, cutting me off. "They were just talking about it." I remember she sounded spiteful. There was a painful moment of silence. "It's gonna be fine." She said in a much calmer tone. She pulled me into a warm embrace. I looked at her and she gave me a soft smile. " _ Ina  _ and  _ ama  _ are waiting for us at home."

At that time I couldn't read her expression or even understand how she could be so calm about potentially losing people that we loved. 

Our tribe had survived winter. Some of our cattle had died, but we made with what we had; for instance their fat would be used for oil, their bones used for weapons and utensils, and their organs would be given to our shamans. After all,  _ Ina Ng Lupa  _ made strange decisions. (Maybe the "Human-Orco War" was a curve-ball? I wish it was). The days passed on and the farmers were planting new crops and the  _ lolo's  _ and  _ lola's  _ were making new clothes for their new grandchildren. The whole tribe would celebrate as a way to invite good luck for the spring season, but with tensions running deep between families about the whole "human invasion" situation, it never happened. It felt eerie. It didn't feel right. The tribesmen were prepping for the unexpected and the chieftain allowed it. I remember scouts were being sent out, young adults were being trained for combat, and I think the blacksmiths were over producing weapons and armor, specifically for our chieftain.

It was midday when I saw  _ ama  _ and  _ ate's  _ flight come back, which was unusual. Their captain was nowhere to be seen. I did see  _ ate  _ come back, but  _ ama  _ wasn't with her. She must've not seen me as she was in a hurry towards the chief's tent. I secretly followed her, and I swear I heard her say, "Chieftain! Humans are hurting us! Help us! They're hurting us!"

My heart dropped. I saw the chieftain for the first time. He was a tall orc of high prestige and preeminence, adorned in earrings and rings on his tusks and between his nostrils. His hair was clean and braided with large colorful feathers. His face and arms were scarred, but they showed strength and power. He ordered his lieutenant to assist her with a deep and authoritative voice. With a pound of his chest, the lieutenant and my sister get on their steeds and head out toward the fields, out of my sight again. He stepped outside his tent, not saying a single word. Just standing next to him was overwhelming. I cried silently. He looked down on me and put his hand on my head. I won't forget what he said.

"I'll do anything I can to bring my people safely."

He didn't.

All members of the flight came home, though wounded. Some weren't able to walk on their own. The younger orcs like my sister weren't harmed too much, but it was traumatic. What was more, was the bleeding orcs I saw. Their foreheads, eyes, arms, backs; their wounds were everywhere. I could hear their loved ones and children crying. I can still hear one woman cry "where is my daughter?"

That was a day of mourning. I learned that one of the young adults got killed, she was the chieftain's daughter who was about  _ ate's _ age. Slashed at the side and bled out, robbed out of her charmed necklace that her mother gave to her. I believe it was her brother who threw a raging fit, demanding justice and death to the human settlers. Soon others began to join, grabbing their hammers and blades. The mother stopped them and cried out, "How dare you disrupt  _ ate's  _ death bed?! Have you no honor or respect?!"

"The humans show no such things!" The brother howled back. "My sister shouldn't have died today! I demand justice!"

The orcs clamored about justice and how humans were evil and greedy, how they deserve to die for all the depletion of bison and horses, and having no honor whatsoever. I covered my ears as tears rolled down my face.

"Silence!" The chieftain ordered with a deep, forcible bellow. The crowd went silent. "There is injustice done to us. A child died before our clan, death brought to her by ungrateful humans! This will not stand. We must prevent this from happening again! My people, we raid in seven days!"

There was a blinding rage within him. The glowing figure I saw that day was gone, replaced by a berserker. It was unreal.

On the day that they would raid the human settlement,  _ ama  _ and  _ ina  _ were dressed for battle.  _ Ate  _ and I stayed with our  _ lola _ , auntie (who was pregnant), and our cousin. I remember not letting go of my parents. Tears and snot pouring down my face, my eyes growing bloodshot and my heart and head hurting from all the crying, begging them not to go.

"I love you." was their last word to us. I don't remember anything after that.

About a few months into the raid, it was a failure. The humans had outside help and completely annihilated the army. Then they turned to my tribe, showing the world that they were not to be messed with. When the humans came, we were still being evacuated to an off-set location led by the new warchief. The human guards found and killed us one by one. The orcs did their best to fend them off, but it was to avail.

I remember  _ lola _ telling me and  _ ate  _ to run away with our cousin, who didn't make it. It was just me and her after that. For a couple months, almost a year and a half, we managed to stay together. We were emotionally drained out.  _ Ate  _ did her best to keep herself stable, but she would cry randomly at times, and I would join her, as a way to show that I was still here; to say that I miss our family, too. We did our best with what we had. Soon Sunog was caught and taken from me. She kept telling me to run as far as I can and to not look back.

I think about it sometimes. I learned that humans are merciless, hellish creatures from god knows where. I hated them so much. They took everything away from me. I thought  _ "Why are they like this? What made them think that why were so high and mighty to make them think that anything that wasn't remotely human were monsters and beasts?" _ The longer I lived, the more I realized why; power, influence, and money. Those who live long enough will write the tales however they wished. Whatever made them look like heroes defending a little country from barbaric orcs. Slowly I lost my childish innocence as reality became brutal to me.

I was 9 or 10-years-old when I arrived in the backwater city of Redditch. City officials put me in some kind of facility for "troubled non-human children", whatever that means. It served as an orphanage and school. It was a pretty shitty one at best. I ran away so many times that I lost count. When I turned 14-years-old, I was bought by an elfish mercenary. I never saw him as a parent or anything, but he did teach me how to fire a crossbow and how to snap someone's neck. He taught me to use my bottled up emotions and throw it back at my enemies. A pretty weird guy, but he didn't abuse me or anything, so I can't complain much. We were emotionally distant, so I can't say too much here.

I turned 18-years-old, I changed my name as a way to show that I wasn't a weak child stuck in the past. I'm a fully trained mercenary.


End file.
